ThomasDenton

http://www.webpronews.com/strike-3-call-whoomp-there-it-is-video-2013-10

Haltime. Battle 27 Central 7. Justus Blaylock for Battle out with a leg injury just before the half.

Looking at VHSL Reference, Holston is 5-9 against PH since 99 (Holston got those 5 wins in the last 5 years).

I've also seen both teams play (both played Battle) and to me, especially going by how close their records are this year, I'd say this'll be a good game. PH having so many starters out worries me and that may hurt their chances of winning, but they do seem more excited about their program this year (which is a big help) and they have home field advantage. I'll give the edge to Holston, but not by much at all.

I've heard *rumors* outside of these boards that they won't have a number of their players due to that incident, but GC fans are really keeping mum on the whole issue on this board and the MD board, so who knows? If there are players suspended, I wouldn't want to know the details surrounding their suspension. I'd just want to know the simple fact if they are suspended or not because that could have a big impact on this game (and possibly others, depending on how long they're out). Any GC fans care to let us know if you'll have a full lineup this Friday or not?

We used to play PH and Holston about every year for HC. And when we played Holston, it seemed like we would lose to them at our HC and beat them at theirs. I've always thought it'd be better to play a tougher team on HC, but you do make a good point about there being too many distractions (though I don't really think HC distractions was the main cause of our loss this year, Honaker is just big and strong up front and that'll give any team an advantage). I still wouldn't schedule a cupcake team though...maybe a team that (you could predict) is about the same level or only slightly weaker. I think Honaker is about the same level as JSB, they just played better at the line of scrimmage that night and it could've gone either way. Win or lose, they made a great homecoming opponent. I still wish JSB could play VHS one year at our homecoming just for the excitement.

I've been thinking lately that since our football program has been turning around, we've been getting some really great crowds up on Battle Hill. I remember the days when you didn't see hardly anyone sitting on the end of the home stands between the press box and lower concession stand. Now, it's packed nearly every game! The Honaker game crowd really impressed me. Of course, it was our homecoming game, so we were going to have a lot on our side anyway, but Honaker brought a great crowd as well. But the crowd that has impressed me most this season was the one at the JSB/VHS game in week 2. There were no seats left in the stands (literally...none at all) and the standing crowd was 2 rows deep in most places around the field. It was electrifying (even with the slightly smaller crowd at this last game, Honaker's camera guy said to me that from the parking lot to the stadium, it was like a college atmosphere). If we can get a crowd like at the game against VHS in week 2, just imagine what it'd be like if we had them mid season for homecoming or later for senior night! The atmosphere hasn't been this great on Battle Hill since I've been alive IMO and that includes the 98 season. Hopefully this will continue for many years and really become the norm at JSB, win or lose. Also, does anyone actually know how many Battle's stadium will hold? I imagine that it's about the same as PH and Abingdon's stadiums, so if anyone at least has a number for theirs, then that would give us a ballpark estimate for Battle.

I don't really think it was on purpose. I believe it was just really poor timing. The girl that does the prayer doesn't speak very loudly (sometimes I even have some trouble understanding what she's saying and I'm up on the press box) and Honaker, down in the corner of the endzone, was getting ready to run out as our team had just done. Imagine you're in that huddle, getting pumped and ready to run out and the fans and band are eagerly waiting on your cue, you probably wouldn't be paying attention to what was being said on the PA. Anyway, it really was a great game. Battle had a 10 point lead in the first quarter and that was by far the biggest lead of the night (every other lead was by 3 or 4 until Honaker got the final lead by 2). Especially in the second half, it was like these two teams were going tit for tat, one would make some plays and score, then the other would respond. Honaker just came out as the stronger team last night. Also, it was a pretty good crowd too. Took me over half an hour to get off Battle Hill, lol.

HONAKER ... AGAIN For second straight year, Tigers put 1st blemish on John Battle’s season Posted: Saturday, October 5, 2013 1:06 am | Updated: 3:19 am, Sat Oct 5, 2013. Johnny Wilson | Sports Correspondent BRISTOL, Va. – Doug Hubbard has seemingly been in charge of the football program at Honaker since the beginning of time, and Friday night the 32-year veteran went old school to knock down homestanding John Battle. In a battle of unbeatens, Honaker controlled the clock and the line of scrimmage, running for 316 yards and holding on for dear life in a 26-24 non-district victory over the Trojans. “We felt like coming in that if we had an advantage anywhere it was with our power running game,†Hubbard said. “But I didn’t realize we would be this effective. “One of the things we’ve always tried to do since I’ve been here is run the football. You’ve got to run it to win, in my opinion.†Austin Smith was Honaker’s workhorse out of the power-I, following blocks of running back Shey Bunn and senior tackle Chandler Miller and company to bull for 203 yards and three touchdowns on a whopping 31 carries. The Trojans (5-1) had no answer defensively, as Honaker (5-0) ran 65 plays to Battle’s 42. “They’ve got a big offensive line that comes off the ball and they are well coached,†said Battle coach Steve Wright. “We just weren’t able to get ’em stopped.†A 5-foot-9, 187-pound junior, Smith was tremendously effective in the second half, lugging it 20 times for 136 yards as Honaker rallied from a 10-6 halftime deficit. “Our strength and conditioning coach [John Dye] pounded us all summer and he knew what we needed to do for games like this,†said Smith, who was celebrating his 18th birthday. “Tonight once we saw that we could run it, we just kept on and kept on. The way the offensive line was blocking I felt we could run it on them all night.†However, it was all Honaker could do to deal with Battle’s big-play abilities, and it wasn’t until Casey Dye intercepted a Logan Honaker pass at the Tiger 30 with 30 seconds to play that the outcome was sealed. Honaker had taken its 26-24 lead when Smith scored from the 1-foot line on fourth and goal with 1:58 left in the game, culminating an 11-play drive that covered 54 yards. “When we missed that last extra-point kick I figured they would get down there and kick a field goal and beat us by one,†Hubbard said. “But time was a factor and that all but eliminated their running threat and forced them to pass. “We were able to get a little pressure on their quarterback and we finally were able to make a play.†Honaker began to recover from a 10-0 deficit when Dye turned in another big play for the Tigers, scrambling for a 33-yard touchdown run on fourth and 11 with 7:04 left in the second quarter. “Big play right there,†Hubbard said. The Tigers gained their first lead by moving 77 yards in 16 plays, with Smith scoring from the 4 with 2:34 left in the third period. A 26-yard pass from Dye to a diving Casey Harmon was a big play of that drive. Battle responded by driving 62 yards in 13 plays to take a 17-13 edge with 9:58 left in the game, scoring on a 6-yard pass from Honaker to Josh Matney. Matney carried the Trojans offensively, also scoring on dazzling 65-yard run in the first half and then later on a 70-yard catch-and-run of a Honaker pass. “They are scary with their speed,†Hubbard said. Every time Battle would regain its advantage, Honaker would return the favor with a drive of its own. “I felt like Honaker blocked and tackled better than we did tonight,†Wright said. “Usually the team that blocks and tackles the best wins the football game.†Down 17-13, the Tigers drove 62 yards on the shoulders of Smith, who scored from the 5 with seven minutes remaining to give Honaker a 20-17 lead. One play later, Matney hauled in a 30-yard pass from Honaker, cut back and finished his 70-yard TD reception to lift Battle back out front at 24-20 with 6:38 to play. That left plenty of time for Honaker to hook its wagon to Smith and find the end zone one more time. Smith began the Tigers’ final drive with back-to-back 12-yard runs between the tackles. “We hope this makes a statement for us,†Smith said. “A lot of people have underestimated us since we lost a lot of people from last year, so hopefully this proves how good we can be again.†Honaker, which finished as the state runner-up a year ago in Group A, Division 1, finished with 368 total yards of offense to John Battle’s 282. http://www.tricities.com/sports/article_dc9b57ac-2d7b-11e3-bdc2-001a4bcf6878.html

Honaker has some big, strong guys up front. It was an completely defensive battle in the first half, then all offense the second half. One team would score, then the other. Seemed like Honaker did the same thing as last year, just a good old fashioned power run game with a great offensive line to open up huge holes and we just couldn't do enough in the end. Had a chance at the end when Honaker's last PAT was blocked and then Battle (down by 2) got the ball back after a 4th down interception on their final drive when Honaker got a pass interference call, but they picked it again with under 30 seconds left to win the game. Another great game in this series. I'm pretty bummed that we lost, but I can't be depressed after a game like that. Congrats on the win Tigers!

Wasn't the Clintwood-Rye Cove game something like 55-20? I'd say Clintwood's coach will play everyone and not run up the score (intentionally) like the RC game, so it shouldn't be 60, 70, or more to 0.

The work never ends Posted on October 2, 2013 by Allen Gregory To the outsider, the life of a high school football coach can seem glamorous. From Wytheville to Lee County, these men are regarded as iron-willed leaders who can help lift the mood of an entire community. And in Southwest Virginia, there is no stronger form of motivational magic than a successful high school football team. That’s why coaches such as Harry Fry (Gate City), Ralph Cummins (Clintwood), Phil Robbins (Powell Valley), Tom Turner (Appalachia) and James Colley (Haysi) have commanded such respect. It’s all about regional pride and bragging rights. Few folks realize the process behind the scenes, however. In this politically-correct age, coaches must juggle more roles than ever. And if you want to chase a championship, there are no days off. At many schools, the grind begins on Saturday morning with film review and grading, plus treatment of injuries. On Sunday afternoons, many coaching staffs gather to research the tendencies of the next opponent and start formulating a game plan for Friday. The serious work begins on Monday, as teams rehash their basic plays while simulating the formations of the opposition. Long after practice, there is more film study. Every coach searches to find a weakness. It takes a reservoir of patience and an Alpha Male personality to handle the weekly juggling act. The modern-day coach must counsel troubled teens, soothe angry parents, tabulate stats, maintain and mark off the playing surface, teach classes, wash uniforms, answer questions from reporters and serve as a recruiting coordinator. The list of chores goes on. Naturally, the burnout factor is high. Consider the case of Steve Wright. Over the past three seasons, this humble Virginia High School graduate has transformed the long-suffering John Battle program. The emergence of the Trojans has been well-documented. There have been winning records, playoff appearances and overflow crowds. And the beat goes on. This Friday, John Battle (5-0) will host the Honaker Tigers (4-0) in a showdown sure to attract another massive crowd. Wright has earned the right to be a tad cocky, but it’s never gonna happen. Wright simply goes to work – day after day. He studies, plans, adjusts and motivates – and his hardcore cast of athletes responds. Somehow, Wright even found time to attend a Sunday afternoon concert featuring musical innovator Pokey LaFarge during the annual Rhythm & Roots Reunion in downtown Bristol. This Monday afternoon, Wright was back at his post in the ancient John Battle coaches office. After holding practice, Wright met with a reporter and attended the junior varsity game against Abingdon. He then went back to his scheming-and-dreaming routine for Honaker and its veteran coach Doug Hubbard. The lone regular season loss for Battle last season came in a 20-7 decision at Honaker, while the Trojans recorded a dramatic 22-19 homecoming win over Honaker two seasons ago. “We’ve had good games with Honaker the past two years,†Wright said. “Honaker is big, well-coached and plays with confidence. They have a good quarterback, a solid kicking game and good skill players. I don’t see any weaknesses.†Battle is coming off a 35-6 victory Friday in one of the biggest games at Patrick Henry in over a decade. “It was a good atmosphere for both teams,†Wright said. For football purists who appreciate the game behind the game, the chess match between Hubbard and Wright offers intrigue. “Coach Hubbard is one of the deans of Southwest Virginia football,†Wright said. “Honaker is used to winning, and that always helps.†Thanks to their hard-working coach, the expectations on Battle Hill have climbed and the mood has improved.

This is a series that I've really come to enjoy. Great games without the drama. This'll be the toughest test so far for the Trojans. With it being homecoming and at Battle, I'll go with the Trojans in a close one (by a TD or less). Here's hoping for another great game!

Nevermind. Just checked the VHSL reference site and from 99-08, we only beat PH once (06 like I mentioned). Dang, didn't think it was that bad.

Are you sure it was that bad? I mean, I can only specifically remember one year beating PH (my senior year in the 06 season), but I don't think PH won 9 out of 10 in those years.

You're darn tootin'!

I've seen lots of alumni, students, and even teachers from other schools sit on the home side at Battle before while wearing their school's colors because they have friends/family on the home side or they maybe lived in the area before. Not really that uncommon.

Honaker & Co. lead Battle past Lebanon, 30-14 Posted: Saturday, September 21, 2013 12:51 am | Updated: 2:57 am, Sat Sep 21, 2013. BRISTOL, Va. -– After spending the last three weeks managing the John Battle offense, quarterback Logan Honaker kicked it up a notch Friday night. Several notches, in fact. Honaker unleashed his right arm and completed 17-of-19 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns, while a trio of senior teammates supplied game-changing plays to help homestanding Battle overcome determined Lebanon for a hard-earned 30-14 non-district victory. A junior, Honaker rarely missed, and his finest hour pulled the Trojans out of a 14-0 hole late in the first half. “We had to take what they were giving us,†said Honaker, who led a second-half comeback by hitting on 8-of-8 for 188 yards after intermission. “Hard work pays off.†Lebanon ruled the game’s first 22 minutes with a polished ground attack under the direction of quarterback Ben Sexton, who broke free on a 73-yard belly keeper and scored on a pair of 1-yard sneaks, the second with 1:28 left before the half. “We’ve got to do something or this thing might get ugly on us,†said Battle coach Steve Wright. “We had to respond and make something happen, and quickly.†Justus Blaylock made it happen just before the half, turning in a herculean effort on a 25-yard touchdown play after catching a short screen pass from Honaker. A 5-foot-10, 160-pound senior fullback, Blaylock broke two tackles and dragged two other defenders into the end zone to score with 18 seconds on the clock, getting Battle to within 14-7 at the half. Lebanon (1-2) ran for 171 yards in the first half – 113 by Sexton. “We had been moving the ball well and we were really hoping to get into halftime up 14-0 there, but that kid made a play that was the turning point of the game,†said Lebanon coach Phil Henley. “John Battle has a knack for making big plays at the right time.†Blaylock was not going to be denied the end zone. “I had great blocking and I hustled all the way through,†Blaylock said. “I just ran as hard as I could until the whistle blew.†Wright marvels at Blaylock’s tenacity. “He’s just tough as nails,†Wright said. “He is one determined kid.†Battle owned the second half, limiting Lebanon to just 77 total yards. There was only one turnover all night between the two clubs. “Some seniors really stepped it up on both sides of the ball,†Wright said. The unbeaten Trojans, now 4-0, tied the game by taking the second-half kickoff 80 yards in 14 plays, Honaker sneaking it in from the 1 after hitting 4 of 4 passes for 60 yards on the drive. Battle then took the lead for keeps when reliable Josh Matney, a speedy 5-foot-10, 160-pound senior slotback who would catch seven balls for 183 yards, nabbed a quick hitch pass from Honaker, broke two tackles and zoomed 76 yards to the end zone with 1:02 remaining in the third period. “Josh and I have been best friends since we were born and we’ve just got a good connection,†Honaker said. “He’s one of the best athletes I’ve ever known and he just has a knack for making big plays.†Missed tackles cost Lebanon. “We’ve got to tackle better,†Henley said. “But when you’ve got young kids out there trying to tackle speedsters like Carter Harlow and that No.15 [Matney], that can lead to some problems.†Following a 37-yard Wes Blaylock field goal that upped Battle’s edge to 24-14, Harlow put the game away when the 6-foot-1, 178-pound senior running back broke two tackles and sprinted away to a 60-yard TD dash with just under three minutes left in the game. Battle finished with 438 total offensive yards behind the leadership of senior center Sam Martin, as Harlow chipped in with 82 yards rushing on 10 carries and 88 yards receiving on five catches. “We were in a little danger zone there - a lot of times teams get down two touchdowns and go into a shell,†Wright said. “But we responded against a real good and well-coached football team. “I’m really proud of my kids.†Battle travels to Patrick Henry next week, while Lebanon hosts Wise County Central. Lebanon 7 7 0 0-14 John Battle 0 7 4 9-0 Scoring Summary L-Sexton 1 run (Owens kick) L-Sexton 1 run (Owens kick) JB-J.Blaylock 25 pass from Honaker (W.Blaylock kick) JB-Honaker 1 run (W.Blaylock kick) JB-Matney 76 pass from Honaker (W.Blaylock kick) JB-FG W.Blaylock 37 JB-Harlow 60 run (kick blocked) Team Stats First Downs: L 11, JB 16; Rushes-Yards: L 38-228, JB 29-126; Passing Yards: L 28, JB 312; Comp-Att-Int: L 5-16-0, JB 17-19-0; Fumbles-Lost: L 3-0, JB 3-1; Penalties: L 6-40, JB 1-5; Punts: L 4-41.0, JB 1-36.

This one's really hard for me to predict. I know Richlands is still a very tough team, regardless of the last game's outcome, and that VHS still has a lot of potential, but it's hard to make a prediction on this one considering Richlands played a monster last game and VHS was off. I'm thinking a Richlands victory (it's at RHS, they'll definitely want to get back to winning after that last game, and VHS could have a slow start coming off a bye week which could hurt them in this game), but we could be surprised..........maybe I'll toss a coin for this one, lol.

This Battle coaching staff really knows how to adapt when the game plan isn't working out and these kids can really step it up when things look bad. I was worried when we got down 2 touchdowns, but then that hard fight to the endzone by Blaylock helped wake everyone up and the passing game was great! To anyone who still thinks Battle is one-dimensional...think again! And a great effort by Lebanon. I knew they didn't have hardly any seniors and are mostly juniors, but didn't expect them to fight that hard. They'll keep moving forward this season and next year they will be very tough. My hat's off to them.

I like Rural Retreat's first helmet, lol.

For the record, I figured Abingdon would win that game. I saw at their game with Battle that they do have some really good skill players and it was a close game last year.

http://www.wimp.com/peeweetrucks/ He earned ESPN top play honor. I wonder where this is?

Tommylozer? ....I'm kind of disappointed. Surely you can come up with something better than that.

I'm beginning to think Jethro is a closet Battle fan. He talks about Battle WAY more than VHS. Go build up your own team and stop trying to tear down ours.